caedmyn Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I'd like to do some sort of history with my almost-6-year-old, but I'm having trouble finding something she's interested in. I tried SOTW 1 but it was over her head. I tried A Little History of the World but I think it was over her head too. Now I have Child's History of the World. It's not over her head but she's not very interested in it. I read her the sample pages from Elemental History (American history) and she's not very interested in those either. She LOVES to learn about anything and everything and it's not like she's only interested in picture books (we read the Bible regularly and she loves the Boxcar Children & Little House on the Prairie books we've used as read-alouds). But I think maybe she'd be more interested in history if it came through books with pictures. Is this just a maturity thing? Should I press on with CHOW or maybe Elemental History & supplement with picture books, or just use picture books? Or is there a history program that has pictures to go along with the text? I feel more comfortable using a spine myself. I know she doesn't need any history at this point but I do think she'll enjoy it and want more once I figure out the right way to present it to her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 What about History Pockets? They're not exactly a history spine, but they're fun and it might get her interested in learning more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen+4dc Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 At that age I'd use picture books, which are easily found at the library (bonus!). I highly recommend Betsy Maestro for American History. If you want a spine I love the Children's Encyclopedia of American History. You can just read the spreads and supplement with pic books. If you're looking for world history Usborne does a great Illustrated History of the World. Again, lots of pics, very little text and easy to supplement with picture books. Have fun with it!! History at this age should be fun stories and projects and play and coloring (imho). Good luck!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 You could just use the Usborne history encyclopedia (heavily illustrated) as your spine and supplement with picture books. In your shoes, that is what I would do. :) ETA: I was typing while Jen was posting. So, what she said. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Could you just use a TOC from either SOTW or CHOW and just get picture books to line up with the topics? We don't start the 4 yr cycle until first, so for K I would just get really good picture books that get her excited about history... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 At that age I'd use picture books, which are easily found at the library (bonus!). I highly recommend Betsy Maestro for American History. :iagree:You can get some ideas by browsing through the listmania! lists at Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2Many4 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 You could just use the Usborne history encyclopedia (heavily illustrated) as your spine and supplement with picture books. In your shoes, that is what I would do. :) ETA: I was typing while Jen was posting. So, what she said. :D :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 My really visual kid LOVES VP timeline cards and the Dover Paper doll and coloring books and plays with them while I do history read-alouds. I didn't get the VP cards until this year, and have been amazed at the difference that visual spine has made in her retention compared to last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aludlam Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 We're all about history picture books at our house. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Last year, when my younger daughter was a 6 yr old (of the immature variety) she enjoyed this: http://www.amazon.com/World-History-Sticker-Stickers-Atlases/dp/0794512445/ref=pd_sim_b39 Every evening, we'd do one or two stickers. She'd write a sentence in her notebook. I'd ask her questions about the other stickers she'd put in the book. Sometimes, she'd do some coloring of maps or we'd watch a brainpop on the topic. She loved it. Does she understand much about history? Nope... but she at least has a reference for what a mosque or a pyramid or a cathedral or a continent is. She can recognize the Eiffel Tower and the Colliseum and the Great Wall of China. I figured it was a gentle introduction to the idea that interesting things happened in the past in other places and it's worth learning about them. I'm hoping that next year she'll be ready to dig a bit deeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 2nding the VP history cards- my kids have memorized them in order and still read the backs every now and then. The VP bible cards are not to be overlooked, either. And how bout making a timeline? Amy Pak's Homeschooling in the Woods CD gives you lots of options regarding themes/dates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caedmyn Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 I think maybe I will just use the Librivox audio of This Country of Ours (well the 2/3 of it that's up anyway) and use the TOC of that to pick a picture book for some of the chapters. That way she can listen to it on her time or car time, and it won't bug me so much if she doesn't retain anything. Or maybe I will get a basic US geography book and go through that with her...she's been interested in maps lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen+4dc Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I think maybe I will just use the Librivox audio of This Country of Ours (well the 2/3 of it that's up anyway) and use the TOC of that to pick a picture book for some of the chapters. That way she can listen to it on her time or car time, and it won't bug me so much if she doesn't retain anything. Or maybe I will get a basic US geography book and go through that with her...she's been interested in maps lately. I'd be sure to preview (or prelisten) to this book. Parts of it have a pretty prejudicial slant to them, not all, but certainly parts. If you do a forum search here you'll find plenty of threads discussing the relative merits and drawbacks and issues related to that book.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morosophe Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 We're doing Sonlight Core 2/C (after doing 1/B last year), and they do Child's History of the World (which I LOVE) supplemented with Usborne Encyclopedia and Usborne Time Traveller. The writing in the latter is pretty deadly dull, usually, (although Time Traveller is a lot better than the Encyclopedia--then again, it only covers four time periods,) but there are no pictures with the former. The combination seems to work pretty well for my son. I do supplement by occasionally making him draw and write History Scribe pages, though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeannpal Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 What about the Complete Book of American history and World History? I haven't used either, but I like the samples I've seen. There are lots of pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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